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Inside Self-Storage 1/98

I'm Going to Explode!Dear Waldmans: My storage facility has
been in operation for a little more than a year. We are still
trying to decide why we need to do this, or how we need to do
that. I have a wonderful manager, but it seems the busier we get,
the more we lose things. In the beginning, I didn't think this
was a problem, just an oversight. But each day I seem to lose
valuable information: "What was the name of the tenant that
was coming by?" Or, "When did you call the past-due
tenant?" Or, "Which day was the maintenance man going
to spray the units for pests?" Last week my manager tells
me, "Oh, I forget to tell you that I have a dentist
appointment this afternoon." Meekly, I thought, "This
really has to get under control. I won't make it another year
without some control over my lost information." Do you have
any suggestions, before I really lose my temper? --Losing It in Sanford, Fla.

Dear Losing It: It does become very perplexing when you
can't find what you're looking for, or you can't remember calling
the past-due tenant. You may have a great manager, but if there
is no organization things can get really out of whack. We have
found all sorts of ways to get organized.

A really simple way to get started in becoming organized is to
purchase a large calendar for the office wall. Make sure you have
four different colors of markers--black, red, green, yellow. What
color you use is up to you; just use each color consistently.
Okay, let's say black represents appointments made by the staff.
Red could be used for any maintenance duties, such as spraying
the units or cutting the grass. Green could be used to remind
managers to call on delinquent tenants. You might use the last
name and always the color green. Yellow may show the need to
check the units for debris or any repairs.

First, instruct all personnel to write everything down. Anyone
that answers the telephone must take a complete message. Use
telephone message pads and make sure everyone understands the
urgent need for a name, time, reason and what the call was about.
It is always a good idea to purchase the message pads that have a
carbon copy. If any messages are misplaced, you always have a
copy.

Another good practice to get into is placing notes concerning
any tenant inside his individual file, such as why the call came
in or why you made the call to the tenant, the name of the
individual you talked to, and the results of the phone call. You
can never take a message that is too long. When it comes to
covering all the bases, you may be surprised that you have all
the necessary information right in front of you. Stress the
importance of the rules and make sure everyone understands the
specific reasons for all this writing. Notes are good for
everyone. Lists are great to remember what it is you need to do.
It may help to write a list of things to do for the next day.
This list should be placed in a convenient location, place, as it
does no good if you can't remember where you placed it. Another
tip is to have a list for any supplies you need to order and hang
it in an obvious spot. Hint: don't wait until you run out of an
item before placing it on the list. Make a list for the
maintenance person to follow, so that he knows when to check on
certain chores. It makes life easier for everyone if they know
what needs to be done and when.

A father-daughter team, Stanley and Jill Waldman
are self-storage owners/operators and attorneys. In
addition, Ms. Waldman holds a master's degree in labor and employment
law from Georgetown University. Together they have
co-authored a number of books on self-storage operations,
including Getting Started in the Self-Storage
Business, Self-Storage Business Management Forms, The
Policy & Procedure Manual for the Self-Storage
Business, Selling Your Self-Storage Business and
The South Carolina Tools Manual for Self-Storage
Operators.

Comments and questions may be sent to: Ask
The Waldmans, P.O. Box 21416, Charleston, SC 29413; or
via their Web site: www.askthewaldmans.com.

Editor's Note: Views and opinions on legal matters
are those of the authors. Professional counsel should be
obtained before any determination or positive action is
taken.